‘We became close friends’: Lee Seung-gi on Netflix co-star Jasper Liu, meeting fans from Bali to Bangkok, and his personal travel style
- Korean actor says when he saw that one of his fans had decorated their room with his photos, ‘I got so overwhelmed I almost shed tears’
- In the eight-episode Netflix series Twogether, Lee and Liu undertake missions in six Asian cities that give them clues to help find their fans’ homes
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Lee Seung-gi, a singer and actor who has maintained steady popularity for his various roles in hit television dramas and reality shows, has returned to the small screen with travel-reality show Twogether, starring alongside Taiwanese actor Jasper Liu.
The star duo complete various missions to collect clues that help them find their fans’ homes under tight time constraints.
“I think the language and cultural barriers have made us display more playful and energetic sides of our personalities. I mingled about 10 Chinese and 100 English words and phrases to communicate with Jasper, accompanied by a lot of gestures and body language. I realised that empathy is the most important skill for communicating,” Lee said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
While Lee is a veteran of variety shows, having starred in several hits such as 1 Night 2 Days, Running Man , Sisters over Flowers and New Journey to the West – he recalled that having to lead the series with Liu was a big challenge for him.
“I have a lot of experience in variety shows, but all of them featured five to six members. As for Twogether, there were only two of us to carry the entire show. I initially worried that we might end up with a lack of content or empty audio,” he said.
“Despite my concerns, things have worked out way better than I had expected. Jasper and I both have outgoing and positive personalities, so we had amazing synergy. Exploring places and going through challenging missions, we became close friends.”
Lee also lauded Liu for being a great travel buddy, saying that he was impressed by Liu's eagerness to actively communicate with the production team despite him being the only foreigner.
“It could have been a bit frustrating for Jasper because the entire production team consisted of Koreans only. However, he was very open-minded and friendly to all,” he said. “I cannot think of a better travel companion than Jasper.”
Meeting his fans was Lee's favourite part of the series.
“While I get to meet fans at various events like fan meetings or concerts, visiting my fans in their homes is a special experience. I'm no longer a star, but a natural traveller,” the 33-year-old actor said. “When I saw a fan's room decorated with my photos, I got so overwhelmed I almost shed tears.”
Lee revealed that his personal travel style is quite different from what is shown in the series. Rather than engaging in outdoor activities and exploring hidden gems, Lee prefers to wander big-city centres, go shopping and dine in popular restaurants.
“Although it's impossible to travel these days due to Covid-19, I hope the audiences can vicariously experience the joys of travel through our programme,” he said. “I hope to reunite with Liu for a second season of Twogether.”
Lee is set to star in tvN's new drama series Mouse, which will air in January next year. All episodes of Twogether are available on Netflix.
